Princess Myrcella Baratheon played with two of her courtiers in the walled gardens of the Red Keep. Queen Cersei watched her daughter from behind a stone lattice on a balcony, wine glass in hand.
Tyrion came up beside Cersei. "Renly Baratheon is dead."
Cersei drained her glass of wine. "Who killed him?"
"There are varying accounts. Some say Lois Griffin was responsible, some blame a member of Renly's kingsguard, and others say that it was Stannis Baratheon himself."
"Well, whoever it was, here's to them!" Cersei raised her empty wine glass, then reached to refill it.
"Renly's armies are joining Stannis," Tyrion warned. "With the addition of Renly's men, he will have superiority over us on both land and sea."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Cersei waved her hand dismissively. "Shouldn't you be doing something else, like sticking your little nose into a book, or sealing Myrcella in a crate so she can be shipped away?"
"She'll be far safer in Dorne than here," Tyrion said.
"Right, and we all know how concerned you are about her safety."
"I am," Tyrion said. "Myrcella is sweet and innocent. Not like you at all."
"You think you're so clever, with your schemes and plots," Cersei said as she moved inside from the balcony.
"Schemes and plots are the same thing!" Tyrion called after her.
Then he went to Joffrey's bedroom. "With Renly out of the way, Stannis is probably going to attack soon. We need to be ready for the assault."
"I'm workin' on it!" Joffrey snapped.
"So, you've got a plan for when Stannis comes? What is it?"
"I told you, I'm workin' on it!"
"I need specifics," Tyrion said.
"I'm workin' on it!" Joffrey snarled, slamming the door in Tyrion's face.
Later, Tyrion met with his cousin Lancel Lannister, Uncle Kevin's son, on the streets of King's Landing, with Bane standing by. "Do you know Joffrey and Cersei's plans for defense of the city, Lance?" he asked.
"Wildfire," said Lance. "Lots of it. I heard Cersei talking with a pyromancer. They've already stored thousands of pots of the stuff. They're planning to launch it from the walls onto Stannis's fleet and army."
Tyrion shook his head. "That's the worst idea I've heard in my life. They could send the whole castle up in flames. I've got to put a stop to this. Oh, Lancel, you won't tell the queen I know about this, will you?"
"My lips are sealed," said Lancel.
"Let's hope they stay that way." Tyrion turned to Bane. "If anything happens to me, kill him."
"My pleasure," the fox said as Lancel jogged away in fright.
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Tywin Lannister was hosting a war council with five of his officers inside Harrenhal. Meg brought a jug of wine to the table. "Take it back and bring us water instead," said Tywin. "We'll be here for some time, and I can't have my men getting drunk."
Meg nodded and started to head out of the room, but Tywin halted her. "By the way, what's your name?"
Meg had to think fast. She couldn't give him her real name. "Sansa Stark!" she said, inventing a fictional name she liked the sound of.
"Hmm. Sansa Stark. It seems to me I've heard that name somewhere before. Where are you from?"
"Maidenpool." It was the first place that popped into her head.
"Oh, really? What's the name of the family that rules there?"
"House Mooten," Meg remembered. Please don't ask me about their sigil, she said to herself.
"What's their sigil?" Tywin asked.
"Crap!" Meg exclaimed, realizing too late she said it out loud.
"You're lying to me, aren't you? You're not from Maidenpool. You're a northerner."
"You're right," Meg said, thinking quickly. "I'm really from… Barrowton, ruled by House Dustin!"
"And what's House Dustin's sign?"
"Two crossed long axes beneath a black crown."
Tywin leaned back in his chair. "Well, well. It seems you're telling the truth this time. And what do they say of Chris Griffin in Barrowton?"
"They call him the young wolf," Meg told readily.
"And?"
"They say he rides into battle on the back of a giant direwolf. They say he can turn into a wolf himself. They say he can't be killed."
"And do you believe them?" Tywin asked.
"No, my lord. Anyone can be killed." Meg held Tywin's gaze until he ordered her to go fetch the water.
On the walkway outside she passed a man in Lannister armor. When he got up close to her, he waved his hand over his face… and his face changed. He turned into Mask, the otter Meg had seen in the cage!
"You!" Meg exclaimed.
The otter gave her a smile. "An otter becomes a man, and a boy becomes a girl."
"I was always a girl," Meg confessed.
"This otter was always aware, but it was not his place to spoil the secret."
"What are you doing in Lannister armor?" Meg demanded. "You're one of them now, aren't you? I should have let you burn!"
"You're fetching water for the Lannisters. Why is it right for a girl to serve them, and wrong for an otter?"
"I have no choice," said Meg.
"We both had a choice," said Mask. "We both chose to be where we are. An otter pays his debts, and a girl is owed three."
Meg was confused. "Three what?"
"Only death can pay for life. A girl saved three lives. An otter means to repay her and the Red God by taking three lives on her behalf."
"So, you're gonna kill three people for me?" said Meg. "And I can choose anyone? Anyone at all?"
"Just say a name and an otter will kill the one it belongs to."
"Okay," said Meg. "I want you to kill the Tickler."
